Blues with Strat Gear

I have an American Strat and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and was wondering if upgrading my pickups might be a good idea. Is this a common thing to do? I am somewhat new to the mechanics of an electric guitar. Sometimes the Strat sounds wimpy like there is a problem with it. Is it possible there is something wrong with the pickups?

Can anyone tell me what I might find with different types of pickups?

I am a big fan of Buddy Guy. I love how he can weave in and out of the distorted tone, one second playing sweet and clean and the other screaming distorted.

I understand the volume knob on the Strat plays into this. Can you explain?

good pickups on a strat are a must imho...lace, fralin...shop around and check http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Guitar+Pickup#manufacturer for reviews on all kinds of pickups

There are literally thousands of options when it comes to pickups for a Strat... It kind of depends on what specific tone you're looking for. I will probably never put a non-Fender brand of pickup in a S-S-S configuration Strat. I have an American Strat that has been heavily customized and I put a set of the Custom Shop '69s in it... They've got way more bite than the '54s and the '57/'62 sets... but less grit than the Texas Specials... I find them very very nice for anything. They nail any vintage tone you could want... And they sound awesome clean or distorted. A very balanced set of pickups. I highly recommend them. However.... I realize not everyone is like me... not everyone stays true to the heritage of the Strat... There are countless routes to take when looking for a good blues tone. Like I said, but the CS '69s are my pick for a blues guitar. You already have a nice rig for the blues... The Hot rod Deluxe is a grrrrreat amp for blues. What kind effects are you running??? Strats are pretty well known for having a weak sound in comparison to Gibsons...... But sometimes the only thing standing between your Strat and that overpowering sound is a good Overdrive pedal... I have a TS-808 reissue that I will never go without. Just another option to look at. If you're looking at a good overdirve pedal the cost is going to be similar to that of a set of pickups... You can grab a set of CS '69s for about $130 and a TS-808 reissue can run anywhere from $100-$170... depending on whether it's had mods done to it or not.